Lobbyist group to Romney, Obama: Help us change - Lobbying disclosure deadline approaches - Fundraising off the Redskins - Independent business group hits swing states

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LOBBYIST GROUP TO ROMNEY, OBAMA: HELP US CHANGE: The American League of Lobbyists has fired off letters to both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, reminding them that, yes, the profession has a bad reputation, but the league supports a variety of lobbying law changes and reforms. “We are fully aware of the mistrust the public has in our profession, but we are equally aware of the lack of faith they have in the totality of the federal government,” league President Howard Marlowe writes. “We would like to work with your administration to make positive changes that will help to lessen that distrust.” Read the letters here: http://bit.ly/QNCeA5 and here: http://bit.ly/Tb3b54

LOBBYING DISCLOSURE DEADLINE COMETH: Lobbying firms and clients have until 11:59 p.m. tonight to file their third quarter disclosure reports. Most among the biggest of the big have yet to do so (and your PI scribes herein offer a quiet prayer to the Lobbying Disclosure Act gods that everyone doesn’t wait until the final countdown.)

A few exceptions, however: The National Association of Realtors spent $9.82 million for the 3rd quarter, down slightly from the previous quarter but well ahead of its output during the second quarters of 2010 or 2011. Same deal for Koch Industries, with $2.42 million — down from this year’s second quarter but up compared to the same period in ’10 and ’11, federal filings show.

PRESIDENTIAL MONEY FACT OF THE DAY: People associated with investment bank Goldman Sachs together represent Romney’s largest identifiable group of donors, collectively contributing $965,140 and counting this election cycle, according to Center for Responsive Politics data. Goldman Sachs is nowhere to be found on Obama’s Top 20 donor list, although that certainly wasn’t the case during the 2008 election, when people associated with the bank offered up more than $1 million and ranked No. 2 overall on his list. That’s behind people who work for the University of California system — also Obama’s top group of contributors this cycle.

PI’S 48-HOUR REPORT REPORT: In these final days of the presidential election, both the Obama and Romney campaigns are required by law to each day disclose contributions of $1,000 or more that they’ve received from two days prior — known as “48-hour reports.”

Obama’s first such report revealed that he took in $178,831 in these four-figure contributions on Oct. 19, including $2,500 from Terrence B. Adamson, the executive vice president of the National Geographic Society. Romney’s report details a comparatively massive $8.17 million in these kinds of donations, although his campaign listed contributions ranging from Oct. 9 through Friday — 11 days worth. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s campaign committee, with $2,000, and former George W. Bush senior adviser Dan Bartlett, with $5,000, are among notable contributors, federal filings show.

A debate-tastic Monday to you, PI faithful, as Obama and challenger Romney prepare for the final of three debates — tune in at 9 p.m. (But don’t expect to find it on your local Fox affiliate, which will be airing Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.) As a debate prelude, both campaigns continue their barrage of debate-centric fundraising emails. If nothing else, Ann Romney’s latest dispatch wins plaudits for its cheeriness: http://ow.ly/i/12ZgF

Thanks for reading PI, have a great start to your week, and now, back to the day’s top influence industry news …

FUNDRAISING OFF THE REDSKINS: Rep. Thomas Reed (R-N.Y.) left MetLife Stadium doubly happy Sunday: The hometown New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins, and his campaign committee, which conducted a fundraiser at the game, made some serious bank. Suggested contribution levels were $500 for an individual and $1,500 for a PAC. See the invite: http://bit.ly/VjMbXY

This Sunday, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) plans to host a fundraiser at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh when the Steelers host the Redskins, according to an invitation PI reviewed.

CVS CAREMARK ADDS WALKER-JENKINS: Ann Walker-Jenkins has joined CVS Caremark as director of federal government affairs. Walker-Jenkins joins the company from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, where she worked as an associate director of federal government affairs. She previously has worked at the American Academy of Physician Assistants among other health-oriented groups.

BOONSHAFT TO LEAD CARMEN GROUP WEST:Hope Boonshaft will serve as Carmen Group’s executive managing director, leading the firm’s new West Coast office in Los Angeles. Carmen Group West will provide business and government consulting services, including media and corporate communications, federal, state and local government relations, public and community affairs, and crisis/issues management. Its clients include ARRI, Respawn, Technicolor and SoftBank.

Boonshaft previously led Hill & Knowlton’s Los Angeles and Irvine offices as executive vice president and general manager. She has also worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment as executive vice president of external affairs and served in the Carter administration as director of community relations.

INDEPENDENT BUSINESS GROUP HITS SWING STATES: The National Federation of Independent Business today launches an “I Built My Business” bus tour of presidential swing states Virginia, Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin. Illinois, Pennsylvania and Indiana are on its itinerary, too.

The tour doesn’t seek to promote any particular candidate but to “provide a megaphone for the voices of the men and women of Main Street and further amplify the critical role of the small-business community in our nation’s economy,” the federation tells PI. The first event is going down now in Green Bay, Wis., where Reps. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) and GOP Senate candidate Tommy Thompson are attending.

REATA BEEFING UP K STREET PRESENCE: Reata Pharmaceuticals is jumping into the influence game, registering for the first time to have in-house lobbying capability. Michael Eging will be lobbying on health care issues, particularly focused on "start-up companies’ economic issues" and chronic kidney diseases for the Texas-based company. Registering an in-house lobbyist comes just a month after Reata retained Upstream Consulting's John Haddow, C. McClain Haddow and Yardly Pollas-Kimble to lobby on health care issues. Reata spent $85,000 on lobbying during the third quarter, according to recently filed reports.

PEORIA HOMES IN ON CLEAN WATER ACT: Indiana-based law firm Barnes & Thornburg just signed to contracts focused on the Clean Water Act regulation and enforcement issues with a focus on municipal government. The Greater Peoria Sanitary District and the city of Peoria, Ill., have hired Susan Bodine, former assistant administrator at the EPA and Hill staffer, to lobby the issue.

BIG, BAD, NEXT-TO-LAST, PRE-ELECTION FUNDRAISING DISCLOSURES … IN BRIEF: Political parties, political action committees, super PACs and presidential candidates unveiled their September finances this weekend, and more than a few storylines emerged from the massive data dump. POLITICO’s reporting team provides the play-by-play, here in digest form:

— Even though Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) called for Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) to drop his bid for U.S. Senate, Chambliss’s leadership PAC made a contribution to Akin’s campaign committee, Tarini reports: http://politi.co/UgiJXc

AUDIO … PI ON THE AIRWAVES: Dave went one-on-one with former super lobbyist Jack Abramoff on his new Sirius-XM radio show, where they talk union spending and presidential fundraising. Listen here: http://bit.ly/RPRYDM Dave also joined Susan Rose and John Zach of WBEN-AM 930 in Buffalo, N.Y., to preview tonight’s presidential debate: http://bit.ly/Rdgam0

ELSEWHERE IN THE INFLUENCE WORLD:

— The identities of several corporate entities that contributed to the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future are unclear, reports Michael Luo of The New York Times. http://nyti.ms/QxiWBd

— Many independent groups reported their best fundraising months in September, reports T.W. Farnam of The Washington Post. http://wapo.st/PH7O7K

— Liberal groups called on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to disclose the corporations funding its political spending, reports Janie Lorber of Roll Call. http://bit.ly/PGCLZJ

— The leadership PAC of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) brought in four times as much as money as that of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), reports James R. Carroll of The Courier-Journal. http://cjky.it/Rp32Iy

— Senate candidate Linda McMahon has spent $77 million during the past two election cycles, reports Michael Melia of The Associated Press. http://bit.ly/RcWcFR

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